A Life Of War
by Pricee
Summary: I wanted to make a collection of one shots. They won't be linked to each other in any way, unless it is stated at the beginning that they are. Some will be M-Rated, this will be stated at the beginning too.
1. Hi

I have decided that I wanrt to make a one-shot collection. The updates will be sporadic, as I have my other multi-chapters to write as well (and I'm still not completely better as of right now). But I wanted to do something fanfiction based.


	2. Chapter 1

Elita sat in the meeting room and watched as all of the other commanders talked about tactics and advances to use against the Decepticons. Some of the higher up soldiers were sat with their commanders making their own input, voices flew across the table, all blending into one. Elita wasn't listening, all of the words and voices going right over her head. She had her head down for most of the meeting but every now and again she would shoot her eyes to one of the soldiers across from her. Arcee. She watched as the femme listened intently to what was being planned and debated, making little input of her own, more at ease just listening. Arcee had been promoted to a higher station very recently, so the femme preferred to stay quiet, until she properly found her footing among the opinionated Autobots that sat with her. Elita knew that she wasn't the only one subtly watching the new femme. Optimus Prime sat at the head of the table, along with Alpha Trion and Ultra Magnus, watching Arcee.

It hurt her to see him looking at her with affection and longing clearly evident in his eyes. She didn't understand how the femme had so quickly entranced the Prime, the notoriously stoic and seemingly emotionless Prime. How she had so quickly risen in ranks and into his spark. Why not her? She had been in Optimus's company far longer then Arcee; she was a high-ranking commander, why was Arcee so special? What was it about this femme? Elita hadn't interacted with her very much since her rise but she knew just from looking at her why she caught the eye of the mechs around her. She was smaller then the rest of them, but was proportioned right for her size. She had a toned body with quite a rounded aft and average sized breasts. Her colouring was nothing out of the ordinary, a simple navy blue with the occasional pink highlight. There was no denying that the femme was attractive, Elita had definitely seen more mechs then Optimus admiring her in the hallways and around the table, but their eyes were filled with lust, unlike Optimus. He wanted her for more then just interfacing, it was clear on his face.

The table fell quiet as Optimus spoke but Elita still wasn't listening. There had to be something more about Arcee that he wanted, there had to be. Something obviously made her stand out, made her special to him. What made her better then Elita herself? She was just as attractive as Arcee, mechs had, and still did, look at her the way they looked at Arcee. She couldn't speak for Arcee, but Elita knew that she herself wasn't a bad femme, she was kind and compassionate. Arcee and Elita were on par when it came to fighting ability, they had to be. Elita was a commander of her own army, and Arcee had risen through the ranks at exceptional speed, so she must have been good at what she did. Following the guide of everyone else, Elita stood and saluted to Optimus and Ultra Magnus before she and her soldier, Moonracer, left with the group.  
"You were staring at her again." Moonracer whispered in her ear as they left the room and traveled to Elita's office, "It wasn't obvious, but I know you."  
"What makes her so special to him, why did she catch his attention so quickly?"

"I don't know about him, but I have spoken with Arcee. She's nice, still getting used to the new position so she's a little subdued, but she isn't horrible. She appreciates the position, she's humble about it, not bragging. I can see why he would like her." Moon spoke as the pair reached Elita's office and sat down on the chair positioned against the wall.  
"Thats not helping me you know." Elita lay her head down against the back of the chair and let out a large exhale.  
"It wasn't meant to help you, nothing can. I'm telling you the answer to your question. She's a nice femme, she's attractive and a good fighter. It's clear why he would take an interest in her." Moon rested her right arm on the arm rest of the chair and raised her left arm in the air, an invitation. Elita took the invitation and lay her head down on Moon's lap, "You can't mope about it. You can't change anything. If Optimus wants her, then that's his choice. You can either stay here and mope, waiting to see if he changes his mind, or you can move on with your life. Find someone else." Elita didn't answer her. She had nothing to say, "Do you want some time?" Moonracer asked gently and felt Elita nod slowly against her lap. Lifting her head, Elita left Moon slip from under her and watched as she walked to the door.  
"Thank you." She said quietly.  
"It's what friends do." Moonracer replied before closing the door.

* * *

Later that night, Elita made her way through the halls of the base. Going past all of the closed doors of the Commanders and soldiers, she made her way to the only door that had light coming through the underneath of it. Optimus's office. Knocking carefully on the door, she heard some movement from inside and Optimus's hydraulics creaking as he, probably, stood from his desk. "Come in." Optimus's baritone voice came through from the other side and Elita slowly turned the door handle and walked in. Optimus sat on one of the chairs she had sat on in her own office with Moon that afternoon, only his were bigger, to accomplice his size. His arm draped over the back of the chair and therefore over Arcee's back, as she sat next to Prime. Elita stood still as she watched Optimus look over to Arcee.  
"Arcee, will you excuse us for a moment?" Optimus asked her so softly, as he moved his arm from draping over the chair, to holding her waist gently.  
"Of course." She moved to stand, but Optimus pulled her to him first. Their lips met gently and stayed locked for a few seconds, before Arcee pulled away and stood, "Goodnight Sir," Arcee walked away from Optimus and looked at Elita as she walked past, stopping slightly, "Goodnight Commander."  
"Goodnight Arcee." Optimus called as she closed the door to the office, leaving Elita and the Prime alone, "What can I do for you Elita? I thought you''d be in recharge. It is quite late."

"Is that why she was here? Because you didn't think that you'd get caught?" The bitterness in Elita's voice took both her and Optimus by surprise.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Why her? There are plenty of femme's in this army, what makes Arcee so special to you?"  
"I don't believe that it is any of your concern who I share my time with Commander." Optimus looked at her quizzically, as if trying to decipher where her bitterness was coming from.  
"Maybe, but answer me, why is Arcee better then the rest of the femmes? Better then me?" Elita took a small step forwards towards him. "I have wanted you for years, but I've waited patiently. You aren't the most expressive with your emotions, we all know that. So I waited all this time for you to show some form of interest in me. But I got nothing from you, no emotion at all. But she suddenly arrives, and you want her? What makes her so special that you fall for her this quickly, but show no interest in me after the years we have worked together? You know after a certain point, you realise that someone doesn't have an interest in you. But just because you know they don't have the same feelings, it doens't mean that yours go away. I realised that you didn't want me or love me back, but I waited anyway."  
"Elita, I had no idea that you harboured these feelings for me. I apologise."  
"You know, it hurt when I realized that you re not in love with me. But nothing can compare to the pain I feel when I see you fall in love with her. I see you watching her in meetings and it hurts me, because I know you have never, and now will never look at me the same way." Elita leaned against one of the chairs closest to her as she watched Optimus digest the information she had given him.

Neither said anything for a few minutes. When the lump in Elita's throat got too much, she stood straight and looked at the Prime in front of her.  
"I am going to take my team to the base in Praxus for a while. We will return if you need us, and I will be available for meetings about any progress we have through the comm-links." Elita turned and headed towards the door, taking the handle in her hand before turning back to Optimus, "I think it would be best for both of us if we do not repeat the what has been said in this room." She didn't wait for a reply as she opened the door and left. The walls seemed to be closing in on her as she made her way down the halls towards Moonracer's room. When she finally reached the door, she shakily knocked and waited, somewhat impatiently. A clearly tired Moonracer opened the door after a minute.  
"We are going to Praxus tomorrow and will be staying at the base for quite a while." Elita spoke.  
"Why ? What happened?" Elita shook her head at her friend, as Moon opened the door wider to allow her friend entrance.

"He loves her."


	3. Chapter 2

The ground shook as en explosion lit up the cave. A stray shot from the vehicon had hit the mined energon and now the whole crater was filling with blue flames. The Vehicons transformed and took off inot the sky, flying back to the Nemesis. "Autobots! Fall back!" Optimus's voice boomed as he watched Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen transform and race past him. He transformed himself and took off after them, all going as fast as they could as the flames came closer to them. The autobots escaped the crater just as the final explosion erupted, transforming to watch as the fire swallowed the rest of the energon and the crater.

"Where's Cee?" Smokescreen looked around the area and saw no trace of the femme.

"She wasn't in the crater, she followed some of the Cons out of it before the explosion was even lit. She's out here somewhere." Bulkhead walked past Smokescreen, followed by Bumblebee and Optimus, in the direction that they had last seen the femme going.

The smell of the burning energon was filling the air and a cloud of smoke to hold over the surrounding area as the team searched. They could see destruction around them from the fight between Arcee and the Vehicons; broken trees, overturned grass, slide marks in the mud. The bodies of some of the vehicons littered the floor, so Arcee had won the fights.  
"Size definitely doesn't hold her back, does it?" Smokescreen joked as they passed the destruction. Bee made some small buzzing noises as he took a path through the trees; Bulkhead and Smokescreen went down into a separate crater; Optimus stayed on the original path. He looked for any sign of Arcee that he could see. The amount of destruction grew smaller as he continued on, therefore causing Optimus to believe Arcee had gone down a different path, and would more then likely be closer to Bee or Bulkhead. As he turned back the way he came, he heard a soft groan from in the trees ahead of him. "Optimus, I'm here." Arcee's voice was weak and slow as she called out to her leader. Optimus quickly pushed through the trees and found Arcee on the ground, a final Vehicon body a few feet away from her, lying in a pool of energon.

"What happened?" Optimus asked as he knelt beside Arcee and held his hand against a large wound in her abdomen, one that stretched from her thigh all the way to her neck. She had other cuts on her body but her abdomen was the most badly damaged, the wound not only being long, but deep as well.  
"He crept up on me through the trees; I thought I had them all. He tried to grab my arms and immobilize me, but I got him in the shoulder first, I didn't see his other arm coming round with the sword. I got him in the neck though." Arcee tried to lift herself up onto her elbows, with the help of Optimus's hand on her back, but her strength had left her and she collapsed back to the floor.  
"Don't move, it'll be okay. Ratchet can help." Optimus raised his hand to his comm-link, but was stopped by Arcee's hand on his arm, pulling it back down.  
"I've lost too much energon, we won't get back in time." Her voice was getting weaker with every minute.  
"I won't let you die. I can't sit here and watch you die, Arcee, I can't."  
"You would have to watch me die no matter what. It's too late. I either die here with just you, or at the base with the team and the kids too." She reached for his hand and held on tight, the pain eating at her, due to the wound's close proximity to her spark, "I only want you here. Please Optimus." Looking into his optics, she could see the anguish and spark-ache and it hurt her just as much as her wounds did.

"We can't lose you Arcee. We need you." Optimus reached down and held Arcee's face in his hand, his other hand still firmly holding hers.  
"You'll be fine. Jack has Smokescreen, Wheeljack's around if you need help."  
"And what about me? I need you, I can't lose you. Not now."

"You'll be fine, you lasted those years after the Exodus without me."

"That's because there was always a chance I could see you again. Now there isn't." Optimus's thumb wiped a stray tear away from Arcee's optic, as he held on tighter to her hand.

"We will see each other again, not for a long time I hope, but we will." Arcee's voice grew very weak and low as her optics flickered and grew darker, "I love you." She said quietly as the light went from out of her eyes and her grip on his hand dropped, her arm drooping.

"I love you too." Optimus's head dropped down and he pulled her body completely against him, holding her tightly against his chest, as if the closeness to his spark would bring her back. It felt as though half of his spark was dying as he held her and felt the coldness of her energon against his body. He could hear the approaching footsteps of his team, at least he hoped it was them, as there was no way he would be able to fight or have any chance of winning a battle right then. Bumblebee's alarmed and then distraught whirs and buzzes were the only noise in the forest as the team stood a short distance away from the two Autobots.

"Ratchet, we need a bridge. Make sure that the hanger is empty first." Bulkhead quietly spoke into his comm-link before pulling bee into his side as the younger Autobot whirred and buzzed sadly. The bridge sparked up behind them, "Smoke, go make sure that the kids are out and stay out. Come on Bee." The three Autobots walked through the bridge, as Optimus carefully picked Arcee up into his arms, feeling more of her energon coat his arms and drip down against his legs and feet. The spot she'd been lying in had turned a bright blue. Arcee's head rested gently against Optimus's chest and her arm fell down limply at her side. Optimus didn't even feel himself starting to walk through the groundbridge and barely noticed when he entered the main hanger of the base. Ratchet attempted to take Arcee from his arms, but Optimus held her tighter and made his own way to the med bay and lay her down on one of the berths. He didn't take his eyes off her as Ratchet came over to her and accessed whether anything could be done. There wasn't; Optimus knew before he lay her down. She was gone.  
"I told her it would be okay. That she would be okay." Optimus spoke to no-one in particular, Ratchet looking up at him as he spoke, "She knew, she knew she was dying. I didn't get there soon enough. I could have saved her."

Optimus felt the urge to punch something, break everything near him. The temptation was almost too strong to resist, but he did. He couldn't break now. His team needed him strong. Arcee needed him to be strong. With a final gentle touch on Arcee's cheek, he lent down and pressed his lips to her forehead. Turning to Bumblebee, the young mech still whirring and buzzing sadly, he stepped closer and beckoned Bee to him. Bumblebee ran to Optimus and wrapped his arms around his leader, burying his face in his chest. Optimus could hear Ratchet moving Arcee's body into a separate room as his arms came around Bumblebee's shoulders.

The sound of Ratchet returning into the room came at the same time as Smokescreen's, along with the kids.  
"Daddy!" A small happy voice chimed from the floor, as small quick footsteps ran in with Smokescreen. Optimus and Bumblebee released each other and Optimus lent down to the floor to pick up the small femme. She was navy blue with white highlights and the spitting image of Arcee.

"Hello sweetspark." Optimus looked into his daughter's optics and could see Arcee. The team looked at the father and daughter, not knowing what to do. Optimus hugged his daughter tightly as she giggled against his chest. Her optics wandered the room and lit up, she wriggled in her fathers arms until he put her down, allowing her to run to Bumblebee. The yellow mech lent down and caught her as she dived at him, swinging her in the air slightly.

"My Bee." The little femme smiled as she hugged Bumblebee around the neck tughtly, Bee's own arms coming around her back, "Where's mommy?" She asked as her eyes continued to search the room from Bee's arms, unable to see her mother. The team watched as Optimus tensed and composed himself, before looking back at his daughter.  
"Mommy's gone away from a while." Optimus spoke gently, making sure to word this right. His 3 year old daughter looked at him, clearly confused, "But we can see her again one day. She's going to be okay."


	4. Chapter 3

Just a short one, as i'm SO tired right now. I literally feel like i'm about to drop.

* * *

It was barely dawn when Arcee felt movement from beside her. She sighed deeply as she felt the blankets move as Optimus woke up. This was his daily routine: wake up before the crack of dawn; do some sort of work on the monitors; patrols; energon searches; battle with the Decepticons; do more work on the monitors; go to bed at at least midnight. Repeat. Day in, day out. Always the same. He never gave himself a minute to unwind. He said it wasn't his place to be relaxed. He was the leader, he needed to be on alert at all times, or else something could happen, something could slip past him, and it could have detrimental effects to his team and the planet. But not today, she was going to get him to stay in bed for as long as she could. He'd had barely 4 hours recharge, that was no way of staying alert. Arcee felt him moving next to her again, carefully removing his arms from around her body, where they'd stayed since he'd came to bed early that morning, protective around her small frame. Holding onto his hand, she looked up and locked eyes with him as he looked down on her, his tiredness clear in his optics.

"Not today." She whispered into the silence as she gently pulled at his arm, coaxing him to lie down with her again, "You need to rest. This is no way to stay as alert as you want to be. You will work yourself to death before the Decepticons can even get a shot in. Please." Arcee slowly sat up onto her knees when he didn't lie back down. She reached out slowly and touched his face, stroking her finger against his jawline and cheek. Optimus's hand came up to softly touch her back, gently coaxing her into his lap. Arcee obliged and sat with her chest pressed up against him, her arms loosely holding his shoulders and around his neck. Optimus lowered his head down to her forehead and rested them against each other, reveling in their closeness and the quiet. Taking her chance, Arcee placed her hands on the centre of Optimus's chest, above his spark, and pushed him down onto his back slowly, as she remained seated upright in his lap. Her hands stroked up and down his chest soothingly as he held onto her waist. "Please. Come back to bed." Arcee whispered pleadingly to him as she lowered herself down closer to his face, kissing his cheeks, optics and forehead lightly.

Optimus let out a sigh as he wrapped his arms around Arcee's back and gently pulled her down from above him, before rolling onto his side with her pressed tightly against his chest. His hand went to her slightly extended stomach, resting against it as his fingers stroked it, a peaceful look on his face. Arcee's eyes stayed locked on his face, taking in his look of peace, as her hand covered his against her stomach. She pulled the blanket back up against them both as Optimus's arm wrapped around her protectively.  
"I love you." Optimus's tired voice whispered into her ear as she snuggled her head underneath his.  
"I love you too." Arcee's hands rested against his chest as they both drifted back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 4

**Happy New Year! Lets hope 2017 is better then 2016... Fingers crossed!**

Hope everyone has a good New Years Eve and a good 2017!

* * *

Their room was quiet as Arcee and Optimus lay in their berth. Arcee sleeping fitfully with her hands pressed against Optimus's chest as he spooned her into his body tightly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He could hear some of the other soldiers walking through the halls of the base, talking about the missions that they'd returned from or were about to go on. The sounds of distant blaster fire and explosions echoed in through their window. But they didn't really matter at the minute. Arcee had said very little since returning from the med-bay, her silence causing Optimus concern, but he didn't want to push her before she was ready. She'd spent most of her day in the med-bay having her wounds attended to by Ratchet and other medics, after spending most of the previous day and all night as a prisoner of Airachnid. Upon being discharged, Optimus had carried her back to their room, where they'd stayed , locked in an embrace on their berth. Optimus was relieved when Arcee had fallen asleep, as he was struggling with her silence, worrying about what was going through her head. Arcee flinched sharply and her hands grasped Optimus's chest tightly, as he pulled her closer and soothingly ran a hand up and down her back. He could feel by her now tenser body that she had been awoken by her flinch, but said nothing to hi,. "Are you alright?" Optimus whispered into the silence, not moving as he felt her shift uncomfortably in his hold. While his grip on her loosened slightly, so she didn't feel trapped, he still kept her close.

"I'm fine." Arcee's body sunk lower into the berth and she held onto him tighter. She then, for the first time since they'd gotten back to their room, she felt Optimus moving away from her, even though the movement was tiny she still felt it.  
"Don't do that, not to me. If you don't want to talk about what happened, then say so. But don't lie and say it's fine. Not to me. Please." Optimus's voice was soft but serious. He wasn't pushing her to tell him about what happened, but he was leaving the opportunity there for her. She knew that she would have to tell him, she wanted to, but not yet. Her own mind was spinning from what had happened with Airachnid. She just needed Optimus now. She needed his presence, his love, his care and protection. All she wanted was to feel his arms around her, so she could convince herself that she was home, that she was safe. "I need you." She spoke into his neck, her voice barely a whisper.  
"I'm going no where. I love you." Optimus held her tightly again. Arcee lent her head back to look up at him, smiling slightly when he placed a small kiss on her forehead before leaning his own down to rest on hers. The two fell back into the silence they had previously been in. But it didn't matter. They needed no words; just each others presence.


	6. Chapter 5

**I took a very long break from writing. I needed to focus on other things and figure some things out, but I want to get back to this. No promises on how often stories will be updated, it will be more then once a year though.**

 ** _Implied Smut in this one. Not explicitly stated, just implied._**

* * *

Optimus and Arcee understood each other. They both knew the full extent of the pain and heartache that the war brought upon all those involved, it was suffocating. Sometimes it was as if you were drowning with no way to break the surface; cold water embracing your body and filling your lungs, while a thick surface of ice stops you from being able to save yourself. War took it's toll on all that were unfortunate enough to be swallowed up in it. They both knew that in moments when it felt like the cold had numbed your whole body and you were running out of breath, you needed something to ground you. Keep you sane and safe in an embrace which you know for a fact won't hurt you.

The two moved against each other slowly, lazy and calm movements causing shivers of pleasure to run down their bodies and drive them further into each other's arms. Their mouths stayed connected as much as they could, passing between them the quiet gasps, moans and groans, as well as all the love and devotion they could pass on. The darkness of the room wrapped them up in their own bubble of solitude, depsite the fact that on the other side of the walls surounding them, the war raged on. The silence emphasised their own noises, making them sound louder then they truly were. Arcee's back arched slightly upwards off the berth, leaving Optimus with the opportunity to fully wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly and securely to his chest while his head bent into her neck. With gentle movements, Arcee's fingers stroked patterns into Optimus's head, neck and shoulders, as the pair whispered words of encouragement, praise and love to each other.

The war would rage on for Primus knows how much longer, the outcome never certain or even predictable. But one thing that both Arcee and Optimus understood was that here, in this moment, wrapped up in a bubble of pleasure, in each others arms and love, they would be safe from anything that would be thrown at them.


	7. Chapter 6

The Delta-Team commander stood in front of Optimus in the meeting room. Maps of the most recent battle area, and the underground tunnels surrounding it, were scattered on the table, along with different battle reports from those present. All the seats usually filled with commanders and high ranking soldiers were empty, only Optimus sat at the head of the table, "After we won the battle our troops were scattered and making their ways to the rendevous point, most of them got there and are now being seen to by Ratchet and First Aid, as per your orders. We have sent out search parties for those unaccounted for and have informed the families of those who are still missing or confirmed dead."

"Thank you for the updates, how many..." Optimus began to question further.  
"I'm sorry Sir, I wasn't finished. Arcee is one of those that we lost today." Optimus sat straight up in his chair and looked intently at the mech in front of him, "She definitly survived the actual battle and was making her way to the rendezvous point when she seems to have been ambushed by a Decepticon named Airachnid. Reports have been coming in over the weeks that Airachnid has been in the area. There's been signs that she has been following our patrol groups, but she hasn't made any outright attacks, until tonight. Arcee was in contact with her partner when she was taken. Tailgate is still out with the patrols searching for her and other survivors." Optimus tried to focus but he couldn't, his only thought on the fact that his spark-mate had now been taken by the enemy.

Airachnid had quite the reputation on Cybertron. She was vicious and didn't hold her prisoners for very long, no more then 2 days. The torture she'd inflict on them before their deaths was brutal enough to make some of the Decepticons fearful of her. Optimus didn't even want to think about what Arcee may be put through; he knew she was strong, but could she withstand the cruelty of Airachnid? "Thank you Commander. Return to your troops and assist those who need it." The Commander nodded at Optimus before taking his leave of the room, leaving Optimus to himself and his worries over Arcee's safety. He let his body slump down in the chair, losing his strength to stay upright and with the regal appearance of a Prime, head falling backwards to rest on the chair, Optimus closed his optics and thought over what his next move should be.  
Should he allow those already in the field to find Arcee, and wait for her at base? Or go to her himself?

Had he not been a Prime, he would already be gone. He'd be out in the field and wouldn't come back until he knew she was alive and safe in his arms, where he could protect and love her. But he was a Prime, not a normal mech with concerns for his sparkmate. He needed to put his army above himself, and therefore Arcee; as much as it killed him inside to sit and wait for news (which he knew may never come) of her return, it was what he needed to do.  
The opening of the door caught Optimus's attention instantly and dragged him back into reality, his posture becoming once again straight and strong. Bumblebee stood by the door looking at him with worry i n his eyes, which Optimus knew was not for him. "I want to go and find her." Bumblebee's statement was not unexpected, Optimus knew that Bumblebee would come as soon as he knew what had happened.

"You have not long returned from your own mission, do you not need rest?" Optimus needed to play the role of the Prime before he allowed Bumblebee back into the field. If Optimus himself couldn't go and find Arcee, he would feel slightly more at ease if he knew that Bumblebee was out looking for her, as he would put in just as much effort as Optimus himself would.  
"The mission was easy and finished earlier then anticipated. I have been cleared to go back into the field, Ratchet himself said so."

"Will you be ready to leave with the next patrol group?"  
"Yes Sir, I am ready now." Bumblebee stepped closer to Optimus, trying to push his point across fully.  
"Then you have my permission to go with the next patrol. Just ensure that you have return before midnight." Optimus stood from his chair and moved a map towards Bumblebee, showing him the area in which Arcee was taken from and pointing out any areas which would be best for searching.

Once fully briefed, Bumblebee looked back up at Optimus, seeing the worry and concern clearly in his optics. He knew that he wanted to go out with the patrols and find Arcee, save her from what she was no doubt enduring. Bumblebee was glad that he could be the one to take Prime's place and some assurance that someone was looking for her with as much determination as he would.  
"I will find her and bring her home, I promise." Bumblebee swore as Optimus turned to look back at him. "I know you will. Be careful yourself, have someone with you at all times, and do not attempt to take on Airachnid without adequate backup." Bumblebee nodded at Optimus and turned to walk out the door.  
"Thank you Bumblebee." Optimus's baritone voice sounded laced with relief, the worry and concern was there still as it would be until Arcee was returned to him. And Bumblebee was determined not to let that relief be in vain. He would bring her back to Optimus.


	8. Chapter 7

Optimus sat on the berth he shared with Arcee, back against the wall, in the dimly lit room. Arcee was lying her head down on his lap, one hand resting on his stomach, occasionally stroking softly against the warm metal the other hand resting on his arm, which was cradling their hours old sparkling against his chest. Their daughter was sleeping soundly in his arms, and Optimus was unable to take his eyes off of her. The tiny body in his arms, so much like her mother, was the most percious thing he had seen in his life.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Optimus's deep voice bacme out as a rumbling whisper in the silent room. He felt Arcee gently shifting her aching body so she could more clealy see his face.  
"I didn't always." She softly replied, the tiredness evident in her voice. The day had been long and draining, now all she wanted was to curl up in Prime'e embrace and fall aslee to the sight of him and their daughter.

"Neither did I, until I met you. And now this, her, has reaffirmed it. Love at first sight is real." In his arms, the sparkling lifted her arms, trying to turn her whole body so she could rest face down on Optimus's chest, making small noises as she shifted. Optimus smiled down at her, before finally looking away from his daughter and down to Arcee, who had fallen to sleep on his lap.

* * *

 **I am so bad at writing something longer then 500 words now, taking a LONG time away from writing has done me dirty.**


	9. Chapter 8

Optimus could tell there was something wrong with Arcee as soon as he walked into her room. The way she held herself was tense and her voice was hard when she spoke to him, as if she were trying her best to keep any and all emotion out of it. He knew that since Tailgate's death, she had moments where she was cold and detatched, but they never lasted this long when it was just the two of them, alone in one of their rooms, away from the war that raged on the rest of Cybertron. All of Optimus's usual tactics of pulling her out of whatever was bringing her down weren't working. She would give him short answers when he spoke to her; she wasn't trying to be in his embrace, as she usually would after a long day of them pretending they were nothing more then a commander and soldier when in public.

It was when she completely pulled away from him and moved to the other side of the room when Optimus tried to hold her close to him and kiss her neck that really told him there was something wrong.

"Arcee, what's wrong?" His voice was soft and gentle, Optimus's way of trying to make her feel more comfortable and able to open up to him for the first time that night.  
"I'm fine, it's just been a long day." Another sharp answer, her voice cold and her mind far away.  
"We've had long days before, you aren't this distant without fair reason."  
"Today's a first then." She crossed her arms defensively over her chest, a subconscious way of trying to hide herself from his piercing gaze. "Do you want me to go?"  
"No."  
"Arcee, I don't understand. You don't want me to leave, yet you don't seem to want me near you."  
"I don't understand..." She paused momentarily and Optimus could see she was both trying to find the right words and maintain a stoic facade, "I don't understand why you are with me, of all the femmes you could have chosen."

Optimus was taken aback by this statement. There had been times, at the beginning of their relationship when Arcee hadn't felt as though she was enough for him, but those were in the past, as they'd now been together for years, despite it being a relationship very few besides the two of them knew about. He thought she had moved past this insecurity she had, thought he had proven to her multiple times that she was the only one he wanted.  
"What has brought these thoughts back? You know I love you, more then anything. Please, tell me." Optimus cautiously took steps towards her, kneeling down closer to her level when he was close enough. She didn't shy away from his approach, as he feared she would.

"I just... You are basically the perfect being; you're caring, compassionate, loyal, kind, so many different things that would take me too long to list now. You are beautiful, and I'm not the only one who thinks it." She took the final steps towards him, so that her body was bracketed by his legs as he knelt before her. Her hands holding his face as she looked into his optics, "I hear the way that other femmes talk and feel about you, and it just reminds me that you could have anyone you wanted. It didn't use to bother me this much, hearing them, but, I don't know why, these last few weeks, it has been getting to me. I don't want to feel like I am some sort of, I don't even know... some sort of burden on you. Something that you keep around because you don't want to hurt me." Optimus's arms held her tightly against his chest, her head buried into space where his neck met his shoulder. "I don't get why it was me that you wanted. Elita One is a commander of her own army, and would be better suited to be with you, more help. If it's just a soldier that you want there's Chromia, Firestar, Moonracer, just to name a few." Optimus cut Arcee off from speaking by pushing his lips against hers, holding her neck in a firm grip. Gently lifting her from the ground, lips still connected, he carried her over to her berth, where he sat and held Arcee in his lap. A hand softly rubbed up and down her back as their lips parted.

"I love you, I have done for many years. My feelings for you haven't lessened; they've only grown stronger. There isn't another femme that I can even try to imagine being with besides you. You don't see what I see when I look at you, you're everything you say I am and more. For years, you have been my rock, everything I need without me even asking. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you and I can't be without you. There is no universe where you would ever be a burden to me." Optimus pulled back to loom into her optics and hold her face in one hand, before leaning forward to press his forehead into hers.  
"I too hear what others think and feel towards you, how they wish to hold you and love you in the same way as I do. There are days when this brings out a jealousy in me which I did not know I possessed. But I know that they can never love you the same way as I do, and those femmes will never be able to love me as you do. I want and need no other, only you." Arcee moved her head quickly and pushed her lips roughly into Optimus's own, the kiss passionate and bruising. Optimus leant back on her berth, pulling her up above him, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. They kissed feverishly for a few minutes, before the passion died down to lazy pecks on each other's faces, until they parted and Arcee slid down from Optimus's chest to lie on her side in his arms. "I love you too." Arcee whispered against Optimus's chest.  
"Promise me, you won't allow this to affect you anymore. No more thoughts of us being apart, for it will not be happening, the only thing which can seperate me from you will be my own destruction. Promise me Arcee."  
"I promise."

That night, Optimus held Arcee tightly against his chest, her head cushioned on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist, one of her legs tucked in between his own. The war carry on for however many more eons, with the doubts of it ever coming to an end in the minds of all apart of it. But Optimus and Arcee would ensure that, between themselves, there would never be any doubts about the love they held for one another.


End file.
